The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to medical systems and more particularly, to patient tables that support a patient during an imaging session or another medically related event.
Patients can be imaged using a wide variety of different imaging technologies. Medical imaging systems may include one or more different imaging modalities, such as, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), x-ray imaging, and others. Imaging systems typically include field-of-views (FOVs) where a patient is positioned to be imaged. On some occasions, a patient is imaged using multiple modalities. For example, x-ray imaging can be used to guide invasive devices and MRI can be used to monitor the results of therapy in the surrounding tissues. Different imaging systems may have patient tables with different characteristics and/or dimensions. Furthermore, patient tables of various designs may be found in a medical environment.
In some applications, it may be necessary to move the patient from one location to another or to move the patient in a manner that reduces anatomical movement and/or disruption of the patient. In some known systems, a patient may be transferred from a first imaging system (e.g., x-ray imaging system) to a second imaging system (MR imaging system) using a transfer board. More specifically, the patient rests on a transfer board that is carried by a transporter or gurney. The gurney is configured to move to different locations. When the gurney is docked with the first imaging system, the transfer board may be moved axially along a patient table of the first imaging system to position the patient within the FOV of the first imaging system. After the imaging session of the first imaging system, the patient may be moved onto the gurney and then transported to the second imaging system. The patient is then positioned within the second imaging system by moving the transfer board onto a patient table of the second imaging system.
However, the patient tables of such first and second imaging systems may be specially designed to receive the transfer board. In such cases, the specially-designed patient tables may not be suitable for standard imaging sessions where, for example, the patient independently mounts the patient table herself or is picked up and placed onto the table. Accordingly, it may be necessary to use two different imaging systems of the same type that have differently configured patient tables. This adds costs and also reduces the amount of available space within a building due to storage of multiple tables.